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Debbie Plotnick

Senior Director of State Policy

Debbie F. Plotnick, MSS, MLSP is the Vice President for Mental Health and Systems Advocacy at Mental Health America (MHA). Previously, she was the Director of Advocacy and Policy for the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania (MHASP), where she developed policy, organized grassroots advocacy activities, and designed recovery-oriented, community services. In her role at Mental Health America, Debbie provides leadership for mental health and systems advocacy initiatives within its affiliate network, with outside coalitions, industry/business, and policy makers. She also coordinates the efforts of the Regional Policy Council (RPC), a six person council of MHA affiliate policy experts. She provides technical assistance to policy makers, government officials and is frequently called up to speak to the press and the general public about what is needed to create a community-based continuum of mental health care, and to challenge entrenched mindsets and misinformation.

Debbie earned a degree from Bryn Mawr College in Political Science. And she holds dual master’s degrees in Social Service (MSS) and Law and Social Policy (MLSP) from the Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. But her real understanding of mental health recovery and her passion comes from the people she works with and for, and her true expertise comes from her own lived experience, as a family member, and a mental health systems advocate.